Mare confirmed positive for Theileria equi
Further testing has confirmed that a mare who was set for export from New Zealand to Australia is positive to exotic organism Theileria equi.
The mare in question was imported under New Zealand protocols last year from France and has been resident at Cambridge Stud since her arrival in February 2019.
She was set to be exported to Australia and a positive test was picked up as part of standard export certification prior to onward shipment.
The test put an immediate halt to importation of horses into Australia from New Zealand as Australia does not have Theileria equi and exports currently require certification that New Zealand is free of the disease.
There is currently a holt on the importation of horses from New Zealand to Australia
"Negotiations with Australia to resume trans Tasman transport appear to be progressing positively,” New Zealand Equine Health Association Chairman Ivan Bridge said.
“MPI Market Access are working on that right now and what that will most likely mean is we will be required to have two piroplasmosis tests carried out on a single blood for all horses being exported to Australia in the short to medium term.”
Bridge said an immediate focus was to facilitate the transport of in-foal mares across the Tasman, which may only travel up to 300 days in foal.
“One of our priorities is ensuring those mares covered in the first five days of last breeding season are able to get to Australia by June 26.
“There is also a shipment of horses bound for Hong Kong via Sydney on June 7, so there is some haste.”
“Post Covid 19 air freight access is another complicating factor, almost the perfect storm."
McEvoys' Ballarat move delayed
The move of Tony and Calvin McEvoy to new stables at Ballarat has been put on hold.
The father-son partnership were set to relocate to Ballarat from their Angaston base after the end of the Adelaide carnival, but delays caused by COVID-19 has seen them push their moving date back a few months.
The training partnership of Calvin and Tony McEvoy have had their plans to move to a new training base at Ballarat put on hold
Construction of the new facility was set to be completed by now, but it was ceased as part of the broader COVID-19 shutdown forcing the McEvoys to wait.
They intend to take up residence in September/October with jockey Barend Vorster to follow suit and make the move from South Australia.
Missing JJ Atkins Not An Option
The G1 JJ Atkins S remains on Not An Option's (Not A Single Doubt) radar after he was scratched on Saturday.
Not An Option is under the care of Richard and Michael Freedman while in Australia, and the decision was made not to run him on the heavy track on Saturday and head straight to the Eagle Farm feature on June 6.
Trainer Tony Pike was happy Not An Option wasn't running on Saturday (May 23)
“A heavy track and carrying 60kg wasn’t ideal for him, so after watching the first race I was happy he didn’t run,” his usual trainer Tony Pike said from New Zealand.
“He will go to the trials at Canterbury next Friday instead and if he goes well then he will head to Brisbane for the JJ Atkins.
“We will probably put the blinkers on him and the 1400m at Eagle Farm will be perfect for him.
“He’s had a ten-day break and a little freshen up and from what we have seen he should be very competitive.”
Waddell set for Australian move
New Zealand jockey Jason Waddell has confirmed his intention to relocate to Australia.
The 34-year-old, a winner of 11 stakes races this season, has been considering his future during the current shutdown of New Zealand racing and put a short message up on Twitter saying he intends to move to Australia once travel restrictions are lifted.
Among his recent victories are the G1 New Zealand Oaks with star filly Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), who will head to Melbourne to compete this spring.
His biggest win in Australia came aboard (Lord) Tavistock (NZ) in the 2010 G2 Blamey S.
BHA publishes guidelines for return to Racing
As British racing prepares to get underway, on Saturday the British Horseracing Authority published operating procedures for racing behind closed doors.
Working with racecourses and trainer, jockey, and staff representatives, the BHA’s guidelines were also developed in consultation with Public Health England and cross-sport Chief Medical Officers. The guidelines are aligned with other elite sports’ operating procedures published so far and include information on the restriction of staff allowed to attend race days, screening that must be undertaken by personnel before entering the track, and requirements for international runners.
“Racing has been able to develop its guidelines based on our experience of operating bio-secure environments to control the spread of infection in horses, and a robust approach to regulation and enforcing the rules,” said Brant Dunshea, the BHA’s chief regulatory officer. “Our trainers, jockeys and staff carry out their roles in a highly disciplined way because working with horses always carries risks. I am very confident they will adapt quickly to this new set of measures designed to protect them from transmission of the virus.”
Racing is set to return in England on 1 June and 8 June in Ireland with both countries holding spectator-free meets for the foreseeable future.
Newitt thinking of making Victoria move permanent
Jockey Craig Newitt has conceded he is considering staying in Victoria when Tasmanian racing resumes next month.
Newitt made the move back to Victoria when Tasmania's racing shutdown in April and has had plenty of success, riding 13 winners from 87 rides.
Craig Newitt after winning the Tom Melbourne trophy at Flemington
He told Racenet that his run of success in his new base had led him to consider whether he would go back to Tasmania next month, with racing set to start again on June 13.
“I’ll just keep chipping away here for a while yet because I haven’t got any plans at this stage,” Newitt said. “Things are going pretty well over here at the moment and I’m making a lot more here than I would be back home.”
“I’ve got a few other things I need to consider before I make a final decision but I’ll just stick around here for the time being.”
Jockey outed for four months
Queensland jockey Stanley Watkin has been hit with a four-month suspension for handling charge.
The veteran jockey was issued the lengthy ban for his ride on Hacksaw Ridge (Animal Kingdom {USA}) at Emerald on April 11.
Hacksaw Ridge finished sixth in the 1200 metre Class 6, with the race won by the Todd Austin-trained stablemate Turkey Beach ($9).
Stewards questioned Watkin’s riding between the 800 metres and 300 metres, and he was charged under the rule that dictates that a jockey must take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure a horse is given the best opportunity to win or obtain the best possible finishing position.
Watkin was also quizzed on what the stewards deemed insufficient vigour entering the home straight.
His ban stretches until September 14.
Italian racing returns
Racing in Italy is set to resume on Monday, with purse levels maintained and with Classic action kicking off with the Italian Guineas’, the G3 Premio Regina Elena and the G3 Premio Parioli, on June 14.
The G2 Italian Oaks will be staged on July 5, and the G2 Italian Derby on July 12. Pivotal in securing the resumption of racing were jockey agent Stefano Pugliese, who led a demonstration that drew around 70 trainers, jockeys, grooms and owners in front of the Milan Prefecture; and Giuseppe L’Abbate and Teresa Bellanova of the Ministry of Agriculture.
